


Alright

by notgood23



Series: Ninjago Father!AU Collection [17]
Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Angst, F/M, Gen, Other, Single Parents, SingleFather!Cole
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-06
Updated: 2020-11-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:53:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27412261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notgood23/pseuds/notgood23
Summary: Whenever somebody asked Cole what he was up to, like, how he was doing outside of work, his answer was almost always guaranteed to be the same each and every single time."I'm doing alright." he'd say.Which to many, would satisfy the need to want to carry the conversation further. Although, realistically speaking, the answer could probably be the furthest from the truth.////////Idk this is sort of old :P
Relationships: Cole/Seliel (Ninjago)
Series: Ninjago Father!AU Collection [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1818262
Comments: 7
Kudos: 7





	Alright

Whenever somebody asked Cole what he was up to, like, how he was doing _outside_ of work, his answer was almost always guaranteed to be the same each and every single time.

"I'm doing alright." he'd say.

Which to many, would satisfy the need to want to carry the conversation further. Although, realistically speaking, the answer could probably be the furthest from the truth.

In fact, if there was anyone he could even _really_ be honest with, his answer would probably sound something like the following:

"I'm exhausted. Every time one of my daughters wakes up crying at night, she will wake up the other one, and then I have to get _two_ crying babies back to sleep" Or, "I'm extremely stressed because I might barely meet rent next month because I just had to take those unpaid sick days."

If he gave the second answer, it would have inevitably led to the next subject.

Cole didn't exactly have the best job.

Correction: _jobs._

More specifically, he worked as a maintenance worker for the college he _used_ to attend, Mondays through Thursdays, nine to six every day. Except on Saturdays and Sundays, where he worked past the late hours and into the early mornings just before the sun rose, on the dreaded "graveyard shift" at the shifty twenty-four-seven gas station. But, the pay was alright as he is able to get him, his girlfriend, and two daughters through, albeit barely.

And then came the life-changers themselves.

Cole's daughters were precious. Absolutely adorable, small little dolls. Although, because of them he almost never got enough sleep because after all, he didn't have one, but two baby girls. Who, were still learning how to sleep through the night.

However, it probably didn't help much that they lived in a not-so-nice-part of the city, where cars raced down the street at ungodly hours and neighbors who liked to blast their music.

The four of them practically squeezed into an apartment more than likely meant for two. You would open the door, and immediately on the left was the living room space, and on the right, a small table coupled with an equally small kitchen counter and stove. It made everything look so cramped. He was just lucky the single bedroom was able to fit a bed and two cribs.

Did you know that when it's cheaper, it doesn't mean it's necessarily nicer? What a nice lesson in adulting.

Or whatever hell this was.

Cole was driving home from work. From his first job to be exact, where they had asked him to stay five hours longer, until after an ensemble concert had ended in the auditorium.

Turns out they needed more people to clean up. And the only reason he decided to take it was that they were actually offering _paid_ overtime. It'd be enough to buy more formula because lately, Seli was trying to wean them off of her, even though he thought they might be a little young.

But she was the mother, so she must know what she's doing, right?

Ah, Seliel.

He could see the motel-style apartment buildings coming up. Cole flashed his blinker, before making a right into the parking lot. He parked his car, turning it off, before sitting in the car. Dragging a hand through his hair, he took a deep breath, closing his eyes. Seli and the babies might be asleep, so he'd probably have to open another canned soup for dinner again.

This is fine.

He's alright.

Cole opened his eyes again, opening the car door to let himself out. It was already a little after eleven and night, meaning it was definitely not a good time to be out here by himself. So he practically jogged up the stairs to walk the eight doors down to his oh so gracious abode.

He carefully walked down the hall and noticed it was awfully quiet. No music, no cars, no noise at all.

 _Finally, a moment of peace and quiet_.

Until he reached his door.

He could hear the crying from outside.

Groaning, he pulled out his keys, and began to unlock the door.

_So much for peace and quiet._

He opened the door, only to become exposed full force to his daughters' wailing. The lights were turned off, so he turned those on first.

"Seli?" he called. "You doing alright?"

There was no response.

"Seliel?" Carefuly making his way to their small bedroom. He opened the door, turning on the lights, only to see his two daughters in their cribs, crying.

And all _alone_.

"No, no, no, no, _no_."

_Not again._

His daughters, seeing him, began to quiet their weeping, but that barely eased the growing panic in his chest.

"Seliel!"

He ran out of the room, checking the bathroom, but she wasn't there, either.

She was gone.

_Where could she have gone this time?_

Cole pulled out his phone, dialing her number, and putting the phone to his ear as he went back into the bedroom to try and calm his daughters.

There was no answer. He tossed it aside.

He picked up his babies, out of the crib, and propped them on the bed, looking for pacifiers. He found them in the cribs, putting them in their mouths. They might have stopped their crying, but his heart sunk as he watched them.

They began to suck on the pacifiers greedily.

They were left alone, and _hungry._

When was the last time they ate?

Cole headed to the kitchen, quickly placing some baby bottles from the refrigerator in the bottle warmer. As they warmed up, Cole headed back into the bedroom, taking a good look at the situation around them, keeping them calm before he eventually fed them both their bottles.

This couldn't happen anymore.

He called six more times.

And not a single answer.

This wasn't okay.

None of it was.

He pulled out his phone, dialing a number he hadn't dared to in quite a long time. After the second ring, they picked up.

" _H-hello? Cole?"_

"Dad, I need help."

* * *

"Shhhh, shhhhhh. Don't cry honey, you'll wake your sister. We're almost there, I promise."

Cole cooed to his whimpering daughter as he was making yet another late night drive. His father's house was basically across the other end of the city, making about an hour drive from his rinky-dink apartment. Now, they were about fifteen minutes away.

Eleni had fallen asleep almost immediately after being buckled into her car seat, but Nina had awoken at some point during the drive and was now threatening to cry at any moment. This left Cole thinking about how he _really_ didn't want to have to stop at the side of the road to console two crying babies when they were so close.

So he began to sing.

Once he found the words to that old little glow worm lullaby, she quieted down, and Cole immediately felt better.

After he finished, he waited one beat longer.

_Silence._

Taking that as a success, Cole breathes out in relief, which in turn triggers a hearty yawn. He glances down at the time flashing on the car's dash. It was almost going to be one in the morning.

Cole had work at the gas station tomorrow - _well, more like later tonight_ \- he remarked internally. It was all up to how things would go from here on out to amount to how much sleep he'd get tonight.

He spared a glance at the rearview mirror, eyeing his daughters' car seats.

Maybe he should call in.

Seliel hadn't answered any of his calls, and at this point he really didn't know what she might be up to. Upon further investigation, all of her stuff was still in the apartment, so the closest to a conclusion he could come up with was that she was just...out.

Cole tightened his grip around the steering wheel. It didn't excuse her from leaving their young twin daughters at the apartment all alone.

Things between them had been different recently,

But, it wasn't like they ever really had a "normal" to begin with.

After a year of community college, Cole had more or less decided that...he really didn't know what he was doing. He had taken the next year off, a decision which ultimately dismayed his father because he had already taken a gap year after graduating high school.

But that didn't necessarily exclude him from the whole college scene altogether. In his brief stint, he had made some friends who happened to be heavily involved in those infamous college parties you always see in the movies. In turn, Cole would almost always be at said college parties.

He had never really been much of a drinker, but he kept coming back just to see _her._

Seliel was just this girl who spoke so confidently, and who dyed her hair red with a single blue streak just to spite her very modest parents. Cole admired her rebellious personality, most likely because she did everything he wished he had done in high school to spite _his_ strict father. She truly had a ferocity unrivaled by anyone he had ever met before. They spent practically entire parties chatting away, talking about nothing and everything almost all at once.

Soon they got around to hanging out, making spontaneous day trips to the drive-in movie theater out of town or just goofing off back home.

He smiled a bit, reminiscing of all those old memories spent together.

The thing is that when you're young, you feel like you're on top of the world. That when you're so high up, nothing could ever bring you down.

Everything happened all at once.

Seliel was late. For a couple days, Cole was on the more hopeful side. That this was just a false alarm and they'd go back to how everything was before, albeit more cautious. But she assured him that she was never late. And four positive tests later, Cole's world was changed forever.

Cole was brought out of his thoughts as he spotted his father's house just up ahead. He pulled up into the driveway, noting the light by the front door immediately turned on. His father stepped out a moment after, walking towards his car. His heart was racing.

Cole turned off the car before opening the car door, stepping out, quickly searching for something to say.

What he wasn't expecting, however, was his father's warm embrace.

It felt nice.

He should have called more.

"Dad, listen, I- I'm so-"

"Nonsense, Cole. Let's get the girls inside first"

Cole relaxed, hugging his father tightly for a moment before letting go.

He unlocked the car's back door, carefully detaching Eleni's car seat. He handed the seat to his father, who carefully held it by the handle, taking his sleeping daughter inside. Cole moved to the other side, doing the same, when he accidentally jostled Nina's car seat, causing her to wake from her newly found sleep.

She scrunched up her little face as he quickly got to working on unbuckling her from her car seat. Nina broke into little cries just as he picked her up. "I know, I knowwwww, somebody's tired." He patted her back a little as she began to calm, before pressing a kiss to the side of her head. He pushed the door closed with his foot, and began to make his way to the front door.

"Don't worry, we're at grandpa's house now," he whispered.

Cole opened the front door with his free hand. He walked into the living room to see his father gently rocking Eleni in the car seat. She looked perfectly content, a pacifier in her mouth, dreaming away. The sight made Cole's heart swell.

Nina was quiet, although he could tell she was falling asleep as well.

_Finally._

His father stood from his seat on the couch. "I have a spare bedroom we can put them in," he said quietly.

Cole nodded, following his father into the guest room. He quietly laid Nina down before returning to the living room to unbuckle Eleni. He set her beside her sister, and couldn't help but feel relief at the fact that they were okay.

He took a seat beside them on the bed, and began to hum a tune nearly long forgotten.

As soon as he finished, Cole turned around, slightly startled by the sight of his father in the doorway.

They looked at each other for a moment before his father decided to speak.

"It's been quite a while since I've heard that one." Lou said, giving him a small sad smile.

"Dad, I have so much to tell you."

* * *

_Despite having not visited in some time, he knew the path by memory. There was a slight breeze accompanying the cool, crisp November air. The leaves crunched under each step he took, making for the only noise present. It was completely silent, and as far as Cole could tell, he was the only person there. His left hand curled tighter around the cellophane encompassing the flowers._

_Soon, he spots what he's looking for, and takes a seat on the grass before the weather-worn stone. It was a good thing the ground wasn't wet._

_"Hey mom."_

_There was a strong gust of wind then, prompting Cole to pull firmly at his jacket. "Sorry, I uh, haven't been around to visit."_

_He placed a hand over the grave plaque. It was smooth, and cold._

_"I've just been trying to...figure out some things." He begins to pull a flower out from the bouquet, a bright stargazer lily, before placing it onto the stone._

_"I don't think you've heard yet, but...I'm going to be a dad." Cole begins to carefully place the bouquet into the vase holder at the side of the stone. He runs a finger along the edges of a petal. He closes his eyes, before speaking again. "Please help look out for me. I don't want to mess this up."_

_Cole sits in the silence for a moment._

_The unease started to pool in his stomach._

_"I don't know if you would be proud of me, if you saw me now. If you were here, with me. But...I'm trying my best."_

_For a long time, he just sits there beside the grave, thinking about whether his mother's real reaction would have been like. Whether she would have felt surprised at first, but loving a second later. Maybe she would have been one of those grandmothers that knit baby clothes._

_But she's dead._

_And all he can really hope for, is that, wherever she is, she knows he's trying._

_When the sky begins to grow a little more grey, he decides it's time to leave. He stands, gazing at the gravestone one last time._

_"See you soon mom. I love you."_

* * *

Why was he thinking about that now?

Cole pulled himself from the memory, rubbing the back of his neck. The steam from the mug was warming up his face from subconsciously staring into his coffee for so long.

Attempting to break himself from his trance, he blinked, feeling the heavy weight behind his eyelids, begging him to close his eyes and go to sleep. He didn't know what time it was, but if he had to guess it was probably already two in the morning.

Taking a swig of the steaming liquid, he relished the warm bitter taste in his mouth. Good thing he acquired a taste for black coffee.

He heard the clinking across the table as his father mixed sugar and cream into his cup. Cole suddenly felt … awkward. But it was to be expected. After all, he and his father hadn't spoken in months.

"I'm going to see if we have any sweet bread." Lou said with a smile as he stood up from his chair and turned to go into the kitchen. Cole, watching his father walk away, winced as a memory flashed through his mind.

* * *

_"When will you understand that this isn't just some game of 'House'? You think you know what you're doing and you don't!"_

_"Oh yeah, because you sure as hell knew what to do after mom died, right?"_

_Cole felt guilty for a moment, seeing his father speechless. But the anger seemed to have broken him down first, his emotions spilling into his words._

_"I don't need you scolding me all the time. I don't need you breathing down my neck. And..and…! Maybe I don't need you around just to remind me of all the ways I've disappointed you!"_

_"Cole-"_

_"Get out!"_

_Lou stood there, unmoving. Cole stared him down, breathing in short breaths, his look unwavering. Tense. Cold._

_His father's eyes seemed to reflect the hurt for a split second before his eyebrows furrowed, a firm expression on his face._

_"You want me to leave? I'll leave."_

_Lou made his way over to the door, before stopping to turn around, his hand already on the knob._

_"I hope everything works out just the way you want."_

_The door closes behind him, leaving Cole alone, the anger slowly being replaced by an ache in his heart._

* * *

His father walked in, carrying pieces of sweet bread wrapped in a napkin. "Luckily I still had some left- Cole?"

"I'm sorry."

Upon seeing Cole's expression, his father quickly places the bread onto the table.

"Cole, you don't have to-"

"Dad, _please_." Cole interrupted.

Lou sat back down at his seat at the small table, meeting his son's eyes with concern.

"You were right and I didn't listen to you." His breath shuddered as he continued. "I...I haven't been a good son. I don't even think I'm being a good dad. I...I can't do it. I can't do any of this."

Cole tried hard to keep his tone firm, for he didn't want to cry. But everything came at once, and he just couldn't stop it anymore.

So he looked down at the table instead.

"I'm so _tired_ . I wanted to show you that I could do this. That I didn't need anyone's help. That maybe you'd finally see… but - I'm _drowning_. His voice broke at the last word. The tears started to fall down his cheeks. "I- I can't bring them down with me."

He stubbornly wiped at the corner of his eyes with the edge of his palm, feeling small, just like a little kid.

_"I'm sorry"_

He heard the chair screech and felt his father's hand on his shoulder.

"I had no right to walk in and criticize the way you were living with the girls. Instead of pointing out the wrong, I should have helped you fix it."

Cole looked away, not wanting his father to look at him as he cried.

"Come here."

Accepting the invitation, he wrapped his arms around his father, holding him tightly.

"I'm sorry too. I should have been a better father to you. But… I'm here now." Lou said quietly. "We can figure things out together." Lou hugged his son tighter, never wanting to let him go.

* * *

Cole shifted in his seat at the kitchen table, taking another bite of the sweet bread. "And when I got home, she just wasn't there. Thank god the girls were alright, but… she hasn't answered any of my calls." He paused, finishing the rest of the coffee before speaking again. "Ah, for some reason, I just- didn't feel safe there. And, you were the first person I called."

His father nodded, listening carefully.

"Well you and the girls are welcome to stay as long as you like. And Seliel too." he added. "Although, son, it may be time to consider some...awful truths."

"What do you mean?"

"She might have left."

"She did."

"But she might not come back."

"No, no. Why would she do that? I'm sure she just got caught up in something. There's no way she'd leave me to do this _alone_. There's no way-"

"Okay. Okay," Lou sighed, trying to stop his son from rambling. "We'll have to wait and see."

Changing the subject, Cole stood from the table. "Ugh, I have to get some sleep. The girls will be up in a couple hours, and I have work later tonight." He ran a hand through his hair, letting out a yawn. Cole started to pick up his mug, although his father insisted on cleaning up himself.

"You go on ahead now to sleep. I can handle this" he said, shooing Cole away.

"Alright dad," he smiled. "Goodnight."

Lou watched as his son left the room. And while he should have felt better that he and his son were reconciling, he couldn't help but worry about the current situation at hand. Or even yet, the one that might be unfolding.

* * *

Cole placed an arm over his eyes, blocking the blinding sun that seeped in through the window. He turned over on his side, hoping just to fall back asleep. But when he remembered that he was not back home, and rather, at his father's house, he immediately sat up from his makeshift sleeping place on the floor.

What time was it? The sun was too bright to have been early. He rummaged through the blankets on the floor, looking for his phone. Once he found it, the screen illuminated to reveal that it was nine in the morning. And, to be frank, Cole couldn't really remember the last time he slept in. However, he was also dismayed by the fact that there was still nothing from Seliel.

He rubbed his eyes, before peeking onto the bed where his daughters were sleeping. Or, where they _should have_ been sleeping.

Seeing that they were no longer there, he made his way out of the room.

"Dad?" he called out.

"We're over here!" he heard his dad respond.

Cole made his way to the living room, smiling at the sight. His father was sitting on the couch, with both babies. Nina, who still appeared sleepy, was curling onto his chest, while Eleni sat up right beside his lap, taking interest in a rattle she shook in jerky motions before putting it into her mouth.

"I think you forget I did this once too, Cole," his father said, smiling.

* * *

After feeding his daughters that morning, Cole, upon returning to the car to get some of their things, realized he had left his bag at the apartment. The one filled with clothes he'd need in order to change for work later.

By noon, he decided _reluctantly_ that it'd be best to return and get it, as well as bring back some of the girls' things as well.

It was just going to be quick.

However, when he opened the door to his apartment, he immediately froze in his tracks.

Sitting on the table, head in their hands was-

"Seliel?"


End file.
